Psalm 23:5 - One Of The Crown Jewels Of Scripture - verse 5.

Psa. 23: One Of The Crown Jewels Of Scripture - verse 5.

Psa 23:5 (KJV)  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth
over.

Psa 23:5 (CWR)  You spread out a banquet for me in the presence
of my enemies. You anoint my head with drops of oil. My heart
overflows with gratitude.

Psa 23:5 (TLB)  You provide delicious food for me in the
presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings
overflow!

Thou preparest a table--moving the imagery from the lush fields
to a sumptuous banquet hall. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown
Commentary]

The scene changes to a banquet hall where a gracious host
provides lavish hospitality. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]

Preparest a table. Jehovah is even more than a shepherd--He is a
king, lavishing upon His guests the bounties of His table.....
"preparest a table" is idiomatic for preparing a meal. [SDA Commentary]

A table before me: God's provision is so luxurious, it is as
though He has prepared a banquet. [Nelson SB]

You prepare a table: As the Host, God has made complete
provision for our every need. [Passages Of Life SB]

In the presence of mine enemies: That is, in spite of them, or
so that they could not prevent it. (Barnes' Notes)

Why eat a meal when your enemies are nearby? (23:5)
This picture may be understood as: (1) A description of God's
protection and power, as David could feast in safety and security even
though he was surrounded by enemies, or (2) a victory feast where David
celebrated the defeat of his enemies - prisoners without weapons and no
longer dangerous. [Quest SB]

Anoint: Typically an honored guest in the ancient Middle East
was anointed with olive oil that contained perfumes. [Nelson SB]

Anoint (23:5): In Biblical times a good host would wash the
guest's feet and anoint his head prior to the meal. [Quest SB]

Thou anointest my head with oil: The expression indicates
abundance.... an indication of prosperity and rejoicing. (Barnes' Notes)

Oil--symbolizing gladness. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown
Commentary]

The oil of gladness ; the joy which the Holy Spirit
imparts . Love and brotherly unity are
fragrant odours of this oil . (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Commentary)

My cup: God's provision is as abundant as the wine offered to a
guest by a generous host. The lavish treatment of the guest is
indicative of the loving care of God for His people. [Nelson SB]

My cup runneth over. It is not merely "full;" it runs over.
This, too, indicates abundance; (Barnes' Notes)

A gracious host, God provides all that we need. [Ryrie SB]

He had it carefully and readily provided for him.....in abundance:
"My cup runs over, enough for myself and my friends too." (Matthew
Henry's Commentary)

Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.
For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but
wherever you go I will let you escape with your life. (Jeremiah 45:5)
This is a promise given to you for the difficult places in which
you may find yourself-a promise of safety and life even in the midst
of tremendous pressure. And it is a promise that adjusts itself to
fit the times as they continue to grow more difficult, as we
approach the end of this age and the tribulation period.
What does it mean when it says that you will "escape with your
life"? It means your life will be snatched from the jaws of the Enemy,
as David snatched the lamb from the lion. It does not mean you will
be spared the heat of the battle and confrontation with your foes,
but it means "a table before [you] in the presence of [your]
enemies" (Ps. 23:5), a shelter from the storm, a fortress amid the foe,
and a life preserved in the face of continual pressure. It means
comfort and hope from God, such as Paul received when he and his friends
"were under great pressure, far beyond [their] ability to endure, so
that [they] despaired even of life" (2 Cor. 1:8). And it means the
Lord's divine help, such as when Paul's "thorn in the flesh" (2
Cor.12:7 KJV) remained, but the power of Christ came to rest upon him,
and he learned that God's "grace is sufficient" (2 Cor.12:9).
May the Lord "wherever you go ... let you escape with your life"
and help you today to be victorious in your difficulties. from Days
of Heaven upon Earth
We often pray to be delivered from afflictions, and even trust
God that we will be. But we do not pray for Him to make us what we
should be while in the midst of the afflictions. Nor do we pray that we
would be able to live within them, for however long they may last, in
the complete awareness that we are held and sheltered by the Lord
and can therefore continue within them without suffering any harm.
The Savior endured an especially difficult test in the
wilderness while in the presence of Satan for forty days and nights, His
human nature weakened by the need for food and rest. The three Hebrew
young men were kept for a time in the flames of "the furnace heated
seven times hotter than usual" (Dan. 3:19). In spite of being forced
to endure the tyrant's last method of torture, they remained calm
and composed as they waited for their time of deliverance to come.
And after surviving an entire night sitting among the lions, "when
Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he
had trusted in his God" (Dan. 6:23).
They were able to endure in the presence of their enemies
because they dwelt in the presence of their God. [Streams In The Desert
By Cowman]

Bug Moats
Psa 23:5 (KJV)  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth
over.
Some plants manufacture chemicals that taste terrible to insects
- they may even be poisonous to the insects. In others the
distasteful chemical isn't produced until the bug bites the plant, so the
plant doesn't waste energy making the chemical if it isn't needed.
This system of using chemicals has been carefully studied as it
affects the various insects, but some bugs have a way of outsmarting the
plant, as you will see.
A bug lights on a plant that it wants to eat, and at the bug's
first bite, coded chemical messengers are sent through the plant's
circulatory system. Bug repellent is produced within minutes and transported
to the site of the bug's invasion. Normally bugs would be repelled
and would have to move on to a more tolerant plant. But there are
some insects that are not repelled. These bugs chew a trench around
themselves, isolating a portion of the leaf that they will now eat at their
leisure, since the distasteful chemical cannot get past the trench that
has been dug to protect their food supply. In the meantime, the
plant is producing large quantities of repellent and sending it to all
nearby parts of the plant to ward off a possible invasion of insects.
When the bug finishes the meal within the circle it flies to
another plant or a spot on the same tree that is at least twenty feet
from the last point--far enough so that the chemical repellent did not
get that far--and there the insect chews another trench and feeds,
safely surrounded by a protective moat.
It is interesting that these insects first dig the trench before
they set to enjoying their dinner. They seem to understand the
concept of "first things first." Jesus will surround us with His
protective care. And as these bugs have their task, so we have ours. We
must trust Jesus, believe on Him, and ask Him to take care of us.
[Glimpses Of God's Love by J & P Tucker]